Many containers are provided with a finish or fitment having perforations or a pour spout for dispensing contents from the container. Spice containers and salad dressing bottles are some examples that include such features. Other types of containers, bottles, and packages may also include similar covers, finishes, or fitments.
A spice container, for example, often includes a molded snap-on cover or fitment that extends across an opening or mouth of the container. The cover or fitment is a relatively rigid plastic piece that is molded into a desired shape. It fits over the container's mouth and resides underneath a screw cap. This molded snap-on cover or fitment often includes several holes or perforations for dispensing a spice, powder, food ingredient, or other granulated product in the container. These containers often include a seal liner underneath the perforated cover or fitment in order to maintain the freshness of the product held in the container prior to use by a consumer. In order to dispense the contents, a consumer first must remove the rigid, molded cover or fitment in order to gain access to the seal liner. Once the cover or fitment is removed, the seal liner can be peeled from the container. Then, the molded perforated cover or fitment must be replaced on the container prior to dispensing its product.
Similarly, salad dressing bottles can have a rigid, molded cap and/or fitment that define a pour spout for ease in pouring a liquid product out of the bottle. Like the spice container, the salad dressing bottle may also include a seal liner underneath the cap or fitment. In use, the cap and fitment must first be removed by the consumer in order to remove the seal liner prior to its first use. Then, to use the bottle as intended, the cap and fitment are replaced on the bottle.
These assemblies suffer several shortcomings. As the container or bottle is supplied to the consumer with the seal liner underneath the molded fitments, in order to use the container as intended, the consumer must first remove the molded fitment in order to gain access to the seal liner. In many cases this is undesirable due to the extra steps required by the consumer to first, remove the cap; second, to remove the fitment; third, to remove the seal liner; fourth, to replace the fitment; and fifth, to replace the cap. As the fitments are generally rigid molded plastic, they may be difficult to remove and then replace tightly back on the container. Oftentimes, they may crack or deform upon removal. In addition, these assemblies require additional manufacturing steps to mold and assemble the container with the additional pieces.
Other containers may have a two-component seal or liner having an upper, peelable portion that exposes an opening in a lower liner portion upon removal of the upper, peelable portion. The lower liner portion includes the opening extending all the way through. The opening is covered by the upper, peelable portion that is glued or otherwise held to the lower liner portion with adhesive. In this approach, however, the ability of the two-component liner to form a good seal to maintain product freshness prior to a consumer peeling off the upper, peelable portion is limited by the nature of the glue or adhesive holding the upper portion to the lower liner portion. Because the opening in these prior seals extends all the way through the lower liner portion, the adhesive or glue holding the upper, peelable portion to the lower liner portion could allow penetration of air, moisture, oxygen, and the like into the container depending on the nature and characteristics of the adhesive or glue.
Other containers may have an opening defined in a rigid upper wall, such as a pour opening defined in an aluminum upper wall of an aluminum beverage or juice container. Some prior approaches may also include two flexible liners covering the opening. One flexible liner is adhered to the inside aluminum upper wall and covering one side of the opening, and the other flexible liner is adhered to the outside aluminum upper wall and covering the other side of the opening. The two liners are adhered to each other through the opening. During use, a consumer removes the outer liner, which pulls the inner liner through the opening. This action tears the inner liner on the sharp edges defining the opening in the aluminum wall. In this prior approach, it is relatively easy to pull and tear the inside liner due to the rigid nature of the top aluminum wall and the sharp cutting edges that the aluminum forms about the opening.
Rather than using a rigid upper wall to define an opening, some other prior approaches may utilize flexible inner seal type structures that define an opening in a flexible layer forming the inner seal. The inner seal may include a peelable, upper layer covering one side of the inner seal opening, and a lower layer covering the other side of the opening. The peelable, upper layer and the lower layer may be adhered to each other through the inner seal opening. Similar to the removal action with regards to the aluminum can or container noted above, a consumer can peel off the peelable, upper layer to pull the lower layer through the opening defined in the flexible inner seal. This action tears the lower layer to expose the opening for use. In this approach, however, when the opening is defined in a flexible inner seal (rather than the rigid layer of the cans discussed above), the tearing of the lower layer often forms an unappealing opening due to frayed or ragged edges in the lower layer because the flexible nature of the inner seal. The flexible layers used to form the inner seal and define the opening therein do not offer sufficient rigidity to form a clean tear in the lower layer upon the pulling action.